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Belgium is fielding a new generation of combat, transport, training and rotary-wing aircraft as the Air Force replaces legacy fleets with the F-35A, Cessna 408 SkyCourier, PC-7 MKX and H145M. The transition will reshape Belgian air operations through new fifth-generation combat, special operations support, pilot training and tactical mobility capabilities. The Belgian Air Force Days at Florennes Air Base on June 27 and 28, 2026, highlighted the scale of Belgium’s ongoing aviation renewal, with several new aircraft presented during the service’s 80th anniversary. Belgium is expanding its planned F-35A fleet from 34 to 45 aircraft, introducing five Cessna 408 SkyCouriers for special operations support, acquiring 18 Pilatus PC-7 MKX trainers and bringing the Airbus H145M into service to replace ageing helicopter fleets. The SkyCourier program will add transport, airdrop, medical evacuation, ISR and potentially kinetic capabilities, with Initial Operational Capability planned from 2028, while the wider modernization effort is expected to progressively reshape Belgian military aviation through the end of the decade.

Read full Defense news: https://www.armyrecognition.com/?view=article&id=363398:belgian-air-force-days-2026-highlights-fleet-transformation-with-f-35-fighters-and-support-aircraft&catid=318

Peru selected L3Harris Technologies’ AN/ALQ-254(V)1 Viper Shield electronic warfare suite for its future F-16 Block 70 fighters, adding an integrated digital self-protection capability to the new fleet. The choice strengthens the aircraft’s ability to operate against radar-guided threats while tying Peru more closely to U.S. combat aviation systems and support networks. L3Harris confirmed the selection on August 18, 2026, making Peru the eighth country to choose Viper Shield as production scales toward 233 systems. The suite will complement the F-16 Block 70’s AN/APG-83 AESA radar, General Electric F110-GE-129 engine and planned AIM-120C-8 and AIM-9X Block II missile inventory, giving the Fuerza Aérea del Perú a modern combination of radar, electronic warfare and networked air combat capabilities. Peru’s initial U.S.-approved package covers 12 aircraft, ten F-16Cs and two F-16Ds, within a Foreign Military Sales package valued at up to $3.42 billion, while Lima has also considered a longer-term fleet of up to 24 fighters.

Read full Defense news: https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/aerospace-news/2026/peru-selects-viper-shield-to-protect-future-u-s-made-f-16-block-70-fighters-against-radar-threats

The U.S. Marine Corps trained FPV attack-drone teams to coordinate strikes against separate targets with near-simultaneous times-on-target during its first attack-drone competition at Quantico. The exercise shows a shift from individual drone employment to coordinated small-unit fires while exposing operators to ISR detection and signature management challenges. Marines from the 3rd Littoral Combat Team and 4th Marine Division conducted strike planning, ISR integration, urban and night operations, long-range attacks and moving-target engagements during the Marine Corps Attack Drone Competition held from August 10 to 14, 2026, at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. Teams also operated against an opposing force using ISR to locate and track launch elements, forcing them to manage antennas, radio-frequency emissions and concealed positions while completing missions. The Marine Corps is separately fielding the Neros Archer FPV system, which has demonstrated speeds above 90 mph, ranges beyond 20 kilometers and payload capacity of about 2.3 kilograms. The FY2027 competition is expected to add a dedicated opposing force, electronic-warfare effects and engagement distances of up to 20 kilometers.

Read full Defense news: https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2026/u-s-marines-train-fpv-attack-drone-teams-for-synchronized-strikes-against-multiple-ground-targets

U.S. Northern Command says American forces lack sufficient sensors and effectors to reliably detect and defeat drone swarms launched from within the United States. The gap leaves military bases and critical infrastructure exposed to low-cost attacks that can bypass air defenses designed primarily for threats approaching from outside the country. Lieutenant General Joseph Jarrard, deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command and vice commander of the U.S. element of NORAD, said at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Alabama on August 13, 2026, that some locations may have neither the sensors to detect an incoming drone swarm nor the effectors to stop it. NORTHCOM is integrating counter-UAS operations into Operation Noble Eagle while seeking greater interoperability between military sensors, law enforcement networks, and systems protecting civilian infrastructure. The Pentagon has requested about $21 billion for drones, counter-drone systems, munitions, and related capabilities as the services pursue electronic warfare, kinetic interceptors, high-energy lasers, and high-power microwave weapons to address the threat.

Read full Defense News: https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2026/us-northern-command-warns-drone-defense-gaps-leave-military-bases-exposed-to-domestic-swarm-attacks

NATO’s Forward Land Forces Battle Group-Poland fielded U.S. M1A2 Abrams tanks with British Jackal 2 reconnaissance vehicles and Romanian Gepard air-defense systems during Poland’s August 15 Armed Forces Day parade in Warsaw. The multinational formation reflects NATO’s effort to combine armored, reconnaissance and short-range air-defense capabilities on its eastern flank while deepening operational integration with Polish forces. The U.S. contingent included the 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, whose M1A2 Abrams tanks operate with a 120 mm M256 smoothbore gun and 1,500-horsepower AGT1500 turbine, alongside Jackal 2 reconnaissance vehicles from the British Light Dragoons and twin 35 mm Gepard systems from Romania’s 348th Air Defense Artillery Battalion. The units train with Polish forces at Bemowo Piskie and Drawsko Pomorskie, where recent exercises have combined Abrams tanks, HIMARS, AH-64D Apache helicopters and counter-UAS systems. Poland’s growing use of M1A2 SEPv3 tanks and regular combined training with U.S. forces are also tightening operational and logistical links intended to speed allied reinforcement and sustainment during a crisis on NATO’s eastern flank.

Read full Defense news: https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2026/nato-and-u-s-forces-showcase-eastern-flank-strength-at-poland-armed-forces-day-parade

Korea Aerospace Industries and Hyundai Rotem agreed to jointly develop and integrate a South Korean long-range air-to-air missile for the KF-21 Boramae, expanding the fighter’s future domestic weapons package. The move could reduce Seoul’s reliance on foreign missile suppliers while giving prospective KF-21 customers access to a more autonomous aircraft and weapons combination. The agreement, signed on August 12, 2026, at KAI headquarters in Sacheon, covers airborne weapon development, systems integration and export packages combining Korean combat aircraft with locally produced armament. Hyundai Rotem is already involved in propulsion work for the missile, including a ducted ramjet concept designed to sustain energy later in flight, while KAI will support integration with the KF-21’s AESA radar, mission computer and stores management architecture. South Korea’s long-range air-to-air missile program is scheduled to run from 2026 to 2033 under the Agency for Defense Development, with an estimated budget of 753.5 billion won, as Seoul prepares the KF-21 for broader domestic service and potential export campaigns.

Read full defense news: https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/aerospace-news/2026/south-korea-moves-to-integrate-locally-developed-long-range-air-to-air-missile-on-kf-21-fighter-jet

The U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman have cleared the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Block II modernization for aircraft integration following the completion of its Critical Design Review in May 2026. The milestone moves the carrier-based airborne command-and-control aircraft toward physical modification and fiscal 2029 flight testing as carrier strike groups confront increasingly complex missile, drone and aircraft threats at extended range. The review with PMA-231 validated the final Block II configuration and cleared integration work on test aircraft. The upgrade will refresh mission computing, cockpit and operator-station systems while improving how the E-2D processes and shares sensor data. Flight testing is planned for fiscal 2029. The modernization is intended to keep the Hawkeye effective against long-range missiles, drones, and advanced aircraft while preserving its role as the carrier strike group’s airborne surveillance and battle management aircraft.

Read full defense news here: https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2026/u-s-navy-clears-e-2d-advanced-hawkeye-early-warning-aircraft-upgrade-for-2029-flight-tests